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The Cash Learning Partnership
With the generous support of
CaLP Case Study
Unconditional cash transfers to reduce food insecurity
for displaced households and assist in the repatriation
of people to their villages of origin.
Regions of Zinder, Agadez and Maradi in Niger.
A project of Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland
e.V. (ASB)
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In 2012, Niger was affected by a food crisis that caused large population displacements.
The NGO Arbeiter- Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. (ASB) distributed unconditional
cash transfers in areas of food insecurity to improve food access for those displaced
and those affected, and to help repatriate people to their villages of origin in the
Zinder, Agadez and Maradi regions. By means of cash transfers, ASB repatriated 672
internally displaced households to their communities of origin in time for the sowing
season (June, 2012).
1 The humanitarian context
The food crisis in the Sahel region in 2012 affected
the Nigerien population severely. Poor crop
production, increased food prices as well as a
signifcant number of Nigerien returnees feeing
the conficts in Libya, Ivory Coast, Mali and Nigeria,
made access to food and other basic items very
diffcult. According to the director of the agricultural
development department of Tanout, seven out of
ten people faced food insecurity in April 2012. In
this context, approximately 501 households were
displaced to the city of Agadez and 725 households
to the city of Zinder, feeing from escalating food
insecurity in their villages of origin. Subsequently,
these households were identifed by the Regional
Committees for the Prevention and Management of
Disasters and Food Crises in Zinder and Agadez
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(CRPGCA).
Seasonal population outfow is a normal
phenomenon in Niger, but the emigration of entire
families at the end of a season as was the case
at the beginning of 2012 is exceptional. Starting in
June 2012, inter-regional missions were organised
to evaluate the general situation in the villages of
origin of displaced households and the places
where they sought refuge. The host communities
and authorities in the regions of origin were involved
in this evaluation process. The results showed that
the environmental conditions in the villages of origin
of the returned refugees were favourable (in terms
of security, stability, arrival of frst rains) while the
economic situation of households was getting
worse. Renewed displacements were observed,
with rural households taking refuge in urban centres
either in their region of origin or in regions further
away data which was confrmed by the CRPGCA
census. The increase of precarious and unhealthy
housing conditions in zones of high fooding risk
was observed too. There was also a sudden rise
in begging by women and children in the cities and
the imminent arrival of the sowing season coupled
with the general context of humanitarian crises in
the country pushed the local authorities and the
Government to make an appeal for emergency
assistance to the international community
2
of NGOs
working in Niger, in order to repatriate internally
displaced people (IDPs) as quickly as possible.
ASB has been working in the regions of Zinder and
Agadez since 2005 and specialises in food crisis
response as well as risk prevention management. It
was therefore well placed to respond to this appeal.
After coordinating with other NGOs working in
the region, ASB centered its action on internally
displaced households. The results of a preliminary
study and the census undertaken by the regional
committees of Agadez and Zinder in April 2012
(nearly 501 and 725 households respectively) show
that the majority of displaced households were
classed as very poor since they had diffculties
covering their basic needs (food, shelter, hygiene,
health etc.) and had adopted negative survival
strategies (e.g. selling off productive assets before
their departure).
1
These state committees are the regional representation of the National Mechanism for the Prevention and Management of Disasters and Food
Crises (DNPGCCA), the main objective of which is the coordination of intervening actors in the case of an emergency in order to ensure the
relevance, effcacy and effciency of food aid.
2
www.unocha.org/cap/appeals/appel-global-pour-le-niger-2012.
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2 Project overview and logic
General and specifc goals
The general goal of this project was to reduce
vulnerability by improving the food security of
1,226 households. For 672 households displaced
to urban areas because of food insecurity, this
involved covering their basic needs during the
most diffcult months of the year and facilitating
repatriation to their villages of origin. For 529 very
poor households displaced to resettlement areas
(including people with disabilities), this required
covering their basic needs and preventing new
displacements.
Distribution phases and modalities
Cash transfers were carried out directly by ASB in
four installments during 2012.
Phase 1 June/July: ASB paid the frst
unconditional cash transfer of 32,500 CFA francs
to 672 internally displaced households identifed in
the urban districts of Agadez and Zinder, followed
by two days of voluntary repatriation by bus of
displaced households back to their villages of
origin. This transfer was intended to encourage and
facilitate the return of IDPs in time for the sowing
season. At the same time, ASB carried out a similar
cash transfer to 529 households identifed as
benefciaries by means of the household economic
analysis (HEA).
Phase 2 July/August: unconditional transfer
of 32,500 CFA francs to 1226 households in 13
distribution sites in the resettlement areas.
Phase 3 August/September: reduction of
distribution sites to nine and an increase in the
unconditional cash transfer amount following an
observed rise of food prices on the markets (to on
average 37,885 CFA francs). The frst transfer took
place at 45 distribution sites, the second one at only
13 such sites. The third and fourth transfers took
place at nine distribution sites. This decrease in the
number of distribution sites was due to a need to
reduce personnel and logistical costs following the
increase in the transferred amount of cash.
Phase 4 September/October: last unconditional
transfer of 32,500 CFA francs. There were 25
women with disabilities among the benefciaries
and they received the same amount in total but
they received it in two installments delivered to their
homes directly by ASB.
Implementation partners
One of the strengths of this project was the good
level of coordination with other actors in the area.
Ten actors contributed to improving the impact
of this project through an effective coordination
network led by OCHA. In practice, the CRPGCA
delivered the frst census; the International
Organisation of Migration (IOM) ensured
negotiations with transporters for the return of the
IDPs and Handicap International provided technical
support in targeting people living with disabilities.
The World Food Programme (WFP) took charge of
the frst cash transfer to 315 benefciaries in Agadez.
UNICEF and ASB supported the transportation
costs while IOM and the Red Cross (French and
Nigerien) facilitated the return of displaced people
to their communities of origin. UNICEF distributed
315 non-food item kits. The Nigerien Red Crescent
assisted with departures, ensuring that everybody
was accommodated properly in the correct vehicles
and that they received water distributed by ASB.
The French Red Cross distributed protein biscuits
to 90 displaced children under fve years old, while
the Regional Directorate of Public Health (DRSP) of
Agadez vaccinated all the displaced children under
fve years old. Local authorities were involved in the
entire process of project implementation, from the
distributions to the project evaluation.
3 Project implementation
Targeting and registering benefciaries
Initially, ASB aimed to target all 1,226 displaced
households in Agadez and Zinder identifed by the
CRPGCA. However, when the census was updated
at the beginning of the project, only 672 displaced
households could be identifed, i.e. only 55% of
the initial target. After coordinating with the local
authorities and the project donor, ASB extended
their target to cover two categories of benefciaries:
very poor households living in the resettlement
villages and people with disabilities.
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To carry out the registration of the 672 internally
displaced households in Zinder and Agadez,
the families held general meetings at every site
to appoint committees. The committees were
composed of representatives from among the
displaced people to attest that the benefciaries
were actually displaced families. Subsequently, ASB
distributed identifcation cards to the benefciaries,
which had to be returned at the end of the project.
The second targeted category consisted of 529
very poor households living in eight villages that
had been identifed as those in most need
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by the
sub-regional committee of Takeita in the community
of Garagoumsa. These households were selected
on the basis of a community targeting procedure.
The key criteria to differentiate the various socio-
economic groups were:
the size of the household
the cultivated surface area
the type and number of livestock owned
the possession of a plough
With the support of Handicap International and
the Zinder Regional Federation of People with
Disabilities, ASB identifed 25 disabled women that
headed large families in the urban community of
Zinder. These women and their families were also
targeted. The selection criteria were determined in
cooperation with Handicap International. As heads
of households, these women lacked resources but
still had to take care of children aged between zero
and fve. ASB aimed to achieve fair targeting among
these women by taking into account the different
types of disability in Niger. These include leprosy,
blindness, deafness/hard-of-hearing, victims of
work accidents and physical disabilities. Besides the
25 disabled women that were heads of households
and had children aged under fve, 31 households
with at least one person living with disabilities were
selected according to the HEA criteria (see criteria
in the table below). In total, 56 people living with
disabilities benefted from this project. Even though
they benefted from the transfers at home, these 31
households were kept in the category of benefciaries
targeted through the HEA in order to avoid the risk of
double counting.
The results are shown in the following table:
Table 1: Socio-economic analysis based on HEA criteria
%
Average size of
household
Possession of land (ha) Livestock
Very Poor 68 59 03
1 goat (lent to the household by a better off
household) and 6 poultry
Poor 16 815 16 1 sheep, 3 goats, and 6 poultry
Average 10 1020 210
4 cattle, 7 sheep, more than 10 goats,
approx. 20 poultry
Wealthy 6 1530 430
13 cattle, 15 sheep, more than 16 goats,
more than 20 poultry
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That is to say villages with more than a 60% crop shortage that had not beneftted through any initiative of the state or other partners during the
year of 2012.
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Table 2: Synthesis
Target group Internally displaced Very poor
People with
disabilities
Targeting criteria
Displaced households in urban zones
identifed by the CRPGCA of Zinder and
Agadez
Socio-economic criteria
(HEA)
Women living with
disabilities who are
the heads of large
households
Targeted by whom?
ASB (on the basis of the CRPGCA
census in Zinder and Agadez)
ASB / local authorities
Zinder Regional
Federation of People
with Disabilities /
Handicap International
/ ASB
Number of households 672 529 25
Number of communities 30 2
1 (urban community
of Zinder)
Number of transfers 4 4 2
Total amount received by
household
Total of 135,385 CFA francs (on average)
Total of 135,385 CFA
francs (on average)
Total of 130,000 CFA
francs
Other actors and roles
directly connected to the
ASB programme
OCHA sub-offce in Agadez: Provided
intervention alerts and coordination
as well as the provision of logistical
resources.
PAM: managed frst cash transfer in
Agadez (315 benefciaries).
UNICEF: contributed 20% for the
transportation of displaced people and
distributed 315 non-food-item-kits.
Nigerien Red Crescent: organized
departures.
French Red Cross: distributed
protein bars.
Local authorities:
Supported targeting, were
present at distributions,
involved in the evaluation
process
Police force: present at
distributions.
Zinder Regional
Federation of People
with Disabilities:
follow-up
Establishing the transfer amount: tracking
prices and market analysis
Out of concern for the coordination and
harmonisation of other transfer programmes in
the region, ASB set the amount of transfers as
recommended by the Food Crisis Agency and
Support Plan of the Nigerien government to 32,500
CFA francs (approximately 50 Euros) per month per
household. In all aspects, this harmonisation served
to mitigate any potential lack of understanding and/
or tensions between the villages while remaining
very close to the estimation of needs. To monitor
the food price in the intervention area, market
assessment tools were established in cooperation
with the SIMA.
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The prices of nib (local bean), gari (manioc four),
cereal crops (millet, sorghum, maize, and rice), oil,
iodine salt and livestock were regularly tracked.
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Based on qualitative and quantitative data, the
tracking focused on the availability of food (supply,
cross-border crop fow, analysis of demand/supply)
and on the accessibility of food (prices, terms of
exchange). These enquiries were led by the market
monitoring offcer at ASB and were accompanied
by discussions with dealers, sellers and buyers from
the market. The data collected was used to adapt
the implemented activities, to adjust the amount
of cash transferred, but also to survey the market
capacity to satisfy additional demand without
causing infation. This market monitoring helped
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Information System for the Agricultural Market supervised by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Craft and the Promotion of the
Private Sector.
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The main markets tracked were: Tanout, Matameya, Dol, Zinder, Birii and Koundoumanoua.
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identify any rises in food prices (fgure 1), especially
of nib (18.9% on average), millet (11.8%), sorghum
(5.8%), maize (7.2%) and rice (0.4%) during the
third payment. This information was used to help
increase the amount of the transfer to between
36,000 and 40,000 CFA francs, depending on the
increase of food prices in each area. Furthermore,
this analysis served to underline that the price of
millet, sorghum, maize and nib rose by 81%,
71%, 8% and 180% respectively compared to
the averages during 2011. The adjustment and
calculation of the amounts to be transferred was
based on the following factors:
Indicator 1: Price of main crops (millet, maize,
sorghum, nib) per 100kg bag in retail
Indicator 2: Exchange price for livestock
(poultry, sheep, goats, cattle)
Indicator 3: Transaction costs (transportation)
Indicator 4: Exchange rate Naira
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/ CFA francs
Indicator 5: Physical accessibility of the market
Operations procedure
At the start of the project, 67 vehicles were mobilised
to carry out the voluntary repatriation of displaced
households to the villages of origin in Agadez and
Zinder. The households received their frst transfers
two days before returning to their areas of origin.
The projects other benefciaries received their
transfers at the distribution sites which had been set
up close to their villages. The distribution sites were
generally set up in district buildings (like the district
stadium). People living with disabilities received their
transfers at home in two installments. Benefciaries
received information about the forthcoming
distribution from the local authorities several days
before each distribution. The distributions were
carried out in the presence of the main intervening
actors (authorities, ASB, committees) and only after
the representative of each household presented
his/her benefciary card. Every person who received
a transfer signed the sheet. At the end of each
distribution, detailed lists of completed payments
were signed by the mayor and ASB and saved for
evaluation and accountability purposes.
Figure 1 : Evolution of prices per tia
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of millet in CFA francs in different markets in the area:
0
Bakin Birji Tanout Dol Matameye
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
July11 June12 July12
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Naira is the currency used in Nigeria. 1 Naira = 3.1 CFA francs
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One tia equals approximately 2.5 kg of crop.
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Follow-up and evaluation
Monitoring and evaluation took place throughout
the project and involved different internal
departments of ASB (technical, administrative,
fnance and security). The offce in Zinder made it
easier to regularly monitor operations in the feld.
The monitoring of the markets enabled ASB to
adjust the amount of the third transfer in a timely
manner from 30,000 to 36,000 or 40,000 CFA
francs, according to the area. ASB supported
the creation of a total of 13 committees for the
management of benefciaries, as well as complaint
committees for each community and distribution
centre. This coordination among the benefciaries
and ASB allowed a smooth execution of the cash
transfer distributions.
In September 2012, a joint evaluation mission
was organised in the feld with the mayors of
Gangara, Garagoumsa, Kanya Wame and
Tirmini. The evaluation was based on focus group
discussions in two villages per community. These
discussions dealt with the appraisal of the project
implementation, the uses of money and the project
impact on the lives of the benefciaries (social and
economic).
This project also benefted from an external
monitoring and evaluation process that took place
on various levels. The local authorities participated
in the evaluation process by taking part in a joint
monitoring trip. WFP, the implementation partner
for the frst transfer, also handed in a report after
the completion of its activities. Lastly, a fnal project
evaluation was carried out by a team of external
evaluators (CNESS-Bozari
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). One of the criteria
examined was the project impact, in particular
the repatriation of IDPs. The fnal evaluation used
individual and focus group discussions in each
location and for each target group in order to gather
information.
The sampling was carried out according to the
total population in question. The sample consisted
of 53% of the targeted women and 47% of the
targeted men. As the table below shows, 181
benefciaries were interviewed, 68.5% of them
through individual discussions and 31.5% through
group discussions (four consisting of women, three
of men). Fifteen actors and organisations involved
in the implementation of this cash transfer project
were also interviewed individually.
Departure of internally displaced people in Agadez.
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A private consulting frm, Cabinet National dExpertise en Sciences Sociales
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Table 3 : Synthesis of the methods for follow-up and evaluation
Type of follow-
up / dates
Organisation(s) Method / instruments
Which
actors were
involved?
Main results
Can the
report be
shared?
Narrative report
by partner
31/05/2012
PAM

315 targeted
benefciaries repatriated;
good appraisal about
cash received and timing
of distributions
Yes
Joint evaluation
09/2012
ASB /
communities
(Gangara,
Garagoumsa,
Kanya Wame
and Tirmini)
Discussions with
benefciaries (two villages
per community = one
village with a high number
of benefciaries and one
village with an average
number of benefciaries);
meetings with
administrative authorities
and non-benefciaries of
the project
Mayors
ASB CRPGCA
Cash helped to preserve
livelihoods, reinforce
solidarity and local
cohesion in the villages,
and create harmony
within households.
Yes
External
evaluation
11/2012
CNESS-Bozari
Cabinet
Individual and focus group
discussions (sampling
10% of benefciaries)
10% of
benefciaries
and local
authorities
This was a social safety
net project, covering the
dimensions of protection
and prevention and
helping to reintegrate
displaced benefciaries
back into their villages.
The inclusion of people
living with disabilities
showed that the Sphere
standards were taken
into account and
respected.
Yes
Analysis of cost and effciency
The direct and unconditional distribution of
money turned out to be the quickest method
of implementation in this context. It would have
taken too long to arrange a contract with the IMF
or a mobile phone operator in this situation. This
solution was also the least expensive. In fact, apart
from the cost of human resources, the total cost
of this direct transfer only made up 1.7% of the
total distributed amount (expenses for logistics
and security), in contrast to 4-7% of the costs
for the transfer service carried out by IMF or the
mobile phone operators. ASB synchronised its
distributions with district market days so that the
benefciaries did not have to do the same journey
twice and could do their shopping directly after
having received their transfer.
Four impacts of the cash transfers
Impact of the transfers on market behaviour
The different discussions which took place
throughout the joint evaluation of ASB and the
communal authorities showed that the cash
transfers did not directly infuence the local market.
The benefciaries assumed that the availability of
goods and market prices were not impacted by the
cash distributions. Rather, the rise in prices which
was observed was connected with the poor harvest
in 2011. During one of the focus group discussions,
the interviewees stated that the increase of
transactions and exchanges between the village
merchants and the benefciaries restored the
confdence among these market actors because
debts could be repaid. This had a positive impact
on the market system.
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Ensuring repatriation and reintegration of
displaced households
The group discussions showed that the frst
payment distributed had the expected effect for the
displaced households. In fact, 100% of displaced
households were reintegrated in their villages of
origin just in time for the sowing period and were
ready for the beginning of the crop season (creating
a source of income for the poor households). One
village leader testifed that normal village life resumed
because of the people returning. I am happy to see
the population of my entire village return among us.
From now on, all decisions and other agreements
which had to be postponed because of too few
people in my village can fnally be made. The cash
transfer programme thus served to reestablish a
social balance at the community level.
Protecting the livelihoods of very poor
households and / or households with a
member living with disabilities
Some benefciaries described how their livelihoods
had been rehabilitated by the cash transfers. Close
to 60% of the benefciaries indicated that the
money received helped them avoid having to sell
animals or land, or getting into debt in order to plant
next seasons crop. It also enabled them to invest
a part of the money in income generating activities
or in collective savings. Staff from the Zinder
Regional Federation of People with Disabilities who
performed evaluation interviews emphasised that
the transfers meant people living with disabilities
could stop begging, feel more dignifed and acquire
a higher social autonomy.
The analysis of cash transfer usage carried out
by the CNESS-Bozari revealed that 100% of
respondents used the money to buy food (of which
31.5% spent all the money on food).
Intervention at the right time
If the project achieved success in supporting
the repatriation of IDPs to their villages of origin
and having a positive impact on the protection of
livelihoods, this can be attributed in large part to
the fact that it took place in time for the sowing
season, when food is scarce (June-September).
In general, this period is the most diffcult for
agricultural communities since food supplies are at
their lowest, feld work accumulates, and cases of
malaria, colds and diarrhea are at their peak. During
this period, it is important to have enough food to
meet the calorie requirements, as well as enough
money for medical expenses, in order not to have
to sell assets. In addition, July until September is
the fattening period for livestock.
This season is a determining period for the very
poor as they carry out work which is paid for either
with goods or money. The poorest households
start to work on wealthier peoples felds and only
afterwards can they devote time to preparing their
own small felds. Altogether, 99.4% of respondents
said that the cash transfer helped them avoid
having to sell animals; 100% avoided having to sell
their felds, and 100% avoided having to take out
loans in order to survive the season of scarcity. The
transfer programme also discouraged the poorest
households from migrating to urban areas. This
prevented population movements and protected
livelihoods, a fact that was pointed out by many
people questioned during evaluations as well as
by community leaders. As one of the benefciaries
emphasised during an individual interview: It is this
money which allowed many among us who had
already packed our bags to unpack them again.
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Understanding and appraisal of the project
by the benefciaries
On the whole, benefciaries demonstrated a high
level of understanding about the targeting process:
54% of the internally displaced households claimed
to have been selected on the basis of a census
(displaced or handicapped), and 42% said it was
on the basis of socio-economic criteria. Very few
respondents indicated that they were among those
selected because of infuence peddling.
As the table below shows, the cash transfer project
was broadly appreciated by the benefciaries.
Despite the average 20 kilometres they had to
travel in order to reach the distribution points, the
distance to receive the transfers was not strongly
criticised. In all likelihood, this was because the
transfers took place near the markets on market
day. The benefciaries would travel this distance
anyway because of the opportunities markets
represent to fnd jobs / income.
Table 4 : Appraisal of the different aspects of the cash transfer operation by the sampled benefciaries.
Aspect
Level of expressed satisfaction
Mediocre Fairly good Very good Total
Targeting 1.7% 23% 86% 100%
Distribution 8.8% 91.2% 100%
Montant 14.2% 85.8% 100%
Distribution frequency 29.9% 70.1% 100%
Distance to distribution
point
17.4% 27.3% 55.4% 100%
The non-inclusion of
household size
29.9% 9.3% 60.7% 100%
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5 Challenges, solutions and
lessons learned
5.1 The distance
Challenge
The distance of 20km on average between the
villages and the distribution points was more
important than was estimated in the preparation
phase of the project. The number of distribution
sites (only nine) was not suffcient for the two fnal
transfers.
Solutions / lessons learned
In order to reduce the number of distribution
points without creating additional travel costs for
the benefciaries, distributions were synchronised
with market days. As explained before, the
households containing disabled people continued
to receive their transfers at home. Altogether, 97%
of the targeted benefciaries came to collect their
allocation. In terms of lessons learned, it is very
important to have a budget that allows for a high
number of distribution points.
5.2 Incentives for migration
Challenge
Households that did not migrate from villages
affected could in future be tempted to leave with
the single goal of benefting from projects of this
type. If no effcient and sustainable accompanying
measures are provided by the local authorities,
benefciaries could in turn risk entering a cycle of
temporary migration regardless of whether the
harvests are good or bad.
Solutions / lessons learned
One year later, the migration phenomenon has
not reoccurred. However, the potential risk has
prompted ASB to anticipate the risks of migration in
the following year (2013) by reinforcing the census
capacities of the mayors and their ability to manage
migration through the establishment of a body
to observe migration. This idea is currently being
developed together with the local communities and
in the future could help prevent and manage mass
migrations, as well as protect the rights of IDPs.
Equally, the ongoing involvement of the authorities
since the response in 2012 contributed to reducing
the risks of mass migration. Communities have
increasingly integrated migration into their
vulnerability monitoring systems in order to be able
to warn NGOs on time. The use of these indicators
serves to improve preparation for this type of
phenomenon and to limit the impact upon the
population.
Contact :
Mrs. Karine DYSKIEWICZ, ASB Niger,
Asbniger_coordo@yahoo.de
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The Cash Learning Partnership
Report writer: Julia Grasset
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The Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP)
(www.cashlearning.org) is a consortium
of humanitarian organizations that aims
to improve the quality of emergency cash
transfer and voucher programming across
the humanitarian sector. CaLP originated
from the will to gather lessons learnt from
the emergency response to the Indian Ocean
Tsunami in 2005. Today, CaLP is composed of
fve steering commitee organisations: Oxfam
GB, the British Red Cross, Save the Children,
the Norwegian Refugee Council and Action
Against Hunger / ACF International. These
fve organisations came together to support
capacity building, research and information
sharing as a way to promote cash transfer
programming as an effective tool to deliver
aid in times of crisis.
In 2010, the CaLP partnered with the
International Federation of the Red Cross
and Red Crescent societies (IFRC) to develop
and implement new activities for 2011 with
support from ECHO.